Straight from the horse's mouth: I was fortunate to fly a very special flight last night: transporting 47 horses back from one of the largest show jumping events in the world: the Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament in Calgary, Alberta.

A selection of the best jumping horses and their jockeys from all over the world compete in this prestigious event, and I was lucky enough to fly many of those Olympic and world-class champions back to Europe. And with each horse worth many millions, I was saddled with quite a responsibility.

Escorted by thirteen specialized horse grooms and a dedicated veterinarian, we were bound for a 4,400 nautical mile (or 8,150 kilometre) trip across remote parts of Canada and the Atlantic Ocean, washed silver by a near-full moon.
Anyway, I shouldn’t put the cart in front of the horse.

The loading of the horses is quite a sight: special horse stalls for cargo aircraft, each holding two horses, are arranged in two long rows inside the 747-400’s main deck, with room to spare.
We don’t fly any differently with such delicate horses than on any other flight, except that we try to avoid sharp turns while taxiing, as that could be a nightmare for them. Otherwise, they’re in for a smooth and comfortable ride.
The nearly 200,000 horsepower of the four Pratt & Whitney engines, complemented by an additional 47 horsepower: foal speed ahead!

Five hours later, it’s the dead of night, halfway across the Atlantic. Situation stable, as the northern lights begin to shimmer and shine to our north. All grooms and the vet fast asleep, and the 47 horses oblivious to the amazing natural wonder that jumps around just outside their windowless cabin.
For me, wild horses couldn’t drag me away from the view, even after all these years.

Another four hours later, and we’re back on terra firma, offloading our passengers in Liège, Belgium from where they'll start the last part of their journey home.

All in a night’s work — no horsing around.